Shoe form



June 11, 1935,.' W J, DE wlT-r 2,004,157

SHOE FORM Filed Dec'. 17, 1932 [A lill/111111111111 VIII/[11],

Patented June 11, 1935 v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHOE FORM William J. De Witt, Auburn, N. Y., assignor to Shoe Form Co., Inc., Auburn, N. Y., a corporation of New York i Application December 17, 1932, Serial No. 647,781

1,7 claims. (o1. 12-1285) This invention relates to an improvement in a tration being variable so that the prong will not shoe form and more particularly to an expansible be visible to the casual observer and yet be readily toe form provided with a prong adapted to enaccessible for disengagement when the form is n gage the insole of the shoe in which the form is to be removed from the shoe. This obviously is a inserted and to prevent the form from working desirable feature in view of the variance in height i5 backwardly out of the" position which it should of the Vamps of shoes. occupy and in which it is set. Other objects of this invention will appear from Toe forms of this general type are inserted in a consideration of the following description and the toes of shoes and expanded therein to plump of the accompanying drawing which forms a part 1'0" out the toe and thus simulate the appearance thereof and inwhich; 10l of the shoes when in use. There is however a Fig. 1 isaside elevation with parts broken away, tendency of the toe form to work back out of the of a toe form, including one embodiment of this position in which it has been placed so that the invention, located in a shoe in the toe expanding shoe no longer presents a pleasing appearance. position; i,

1`5` One Way of counteracting thistendency is to Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the toe form 15 equip the form with a prong which enters the shown'in Fig. 1; upper surface of the insole and resists the outward Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional View takenpalong movement of the form. Various types of forms the lines 3 3 of Fig. 2; and

.y so equipped are shown for example in my Patents Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. l in which the Nos. 1,632,955 granted June 21, 1927, 1,736,780 toe form includes another embodiment of this 2O granted November 26, 1929, 1,774,702 granted invention. i September 2, 1930, 1,817,299 granted August 4, The toe form I0 shown in the drawing com- 1931 and 1,821,695 granted September 1, 1931. prises ball angesll connected in the well known The prongs with which the toe forms disclosed manner by a CI'OSS brace l2. The CIOSS brace l2 in these patents penetrate the surface of the iS pvetally Secured al? One end t0 a ellge 25 insole ofthe shoe by reason of their structure, by a button I5. A button liixed to the other inherent resiliency and mounting and their posi end of the cross brace is adapted to travel in tions are determined by the portion of the forms an arcuate slot Il formed in the other ilange i to which they are secured or of which they are Il. Suitable bosses I8 or other positioning means I parts, i may be provided to determine the positionof 30 The primary Object of this invention is t0 prothe cross brace. It will be understood that by vide a toe `form having a prong which is yieldthe pivotal movement of the cross brace the side ably held with its tip penetrating the surface of walls of the form Hl may be separated 0r brought the insole of a shoe,` into which the form is in- @Walid each other and the form thus expanded serted, by means independent of the prong and or Contracted. The form` after being inserted 35 not by reason alone of the inherent resiliency nO the J00e 0f a Shoe 20 as` shown in Figs. 1` of the prong. and 4 is expanded to plump out the toer of the A further Object 0f this invention is to proshoe and is contracted tofacilitate its withvde a, to@ form having a, Crossbmce by which it drawal from or its insertion into the shoe. A

is expanded or contracted and a prong which will PVOed 1113011. the ,buUOIl l5 iS e Drent; 2| heuV-l 40 engage the cross brace and yieldably prevent the l'lg a Substantially right angled Corner 22 incross brace from shifting out` of that position in temedlate its ends and terminating in ef Sharp-l which the toe fom has been given the desired ened tip 23 which will enter the surface of the amount 0f expansion, Such prong also beinglif 111501@ 24 and prevent the unwanted baCkWaTd desired, Capable of Shifting `the position of the movement of the toe form I0 out of the shoe 29. 45 Cross brace, In both embodiments shown the prong 2| en- A still further object of this invention is to gages the @TCSS brace l2 and yeldebly hOldS it provide in the toe form a, prong by which the in the pOStOIl, in WhCh it Was Set. TheSe emform is held against Shifting by reason not @my bodiments diier in the contour of cross brace of the entry of the tip of the prong into the engaging DOTOD 0f the DI'OIlg and Will 110W be 50` insole but also of a yieldable frictional contact Separately deSCIbed. t l of another portion of the prong with the insole. In the embodiment ShOWIl in Figs. 1 and 2 the` Another object Of this invention is to provide a DOIOD 25 0f,` J611e prong between Jlle COIIler 22 form having a prong the tip of which penetrates and the trip 23 iS PTOVded With e plurality 0fl the surface of the insole,` the points of peneloops'ZB into any selected one of Whichthe cross pivotal movement of the prong on the button brace I2 enters. The bases of the loops 26 bear upon the insole 24 and are yieldably held in such frictional contact by the cross brace I2.

Since there are a plurality of loops 255 the position of the tip in this embodiment is not determined by the location of the cross brace alone but is also determined by the loop which. the cross brace enters. Thus the position of the tip may be varied so that with a. shoe having a low Vamp it may be set further in the toe of the shoe than with a shoe having a high vamp.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 4 the portion 30 of the prong is provided with a loop 3| which receives the cross brace I2 and also with a second loop 32 the base of which rests upon the insole of the shoe. The cross brace I2 thus yieldably holds the nut 32 in frictional contact with the insole and the tip 23 in the surface of the insole while the cross brace is held in position by the prong.

When a form embodying this invention is to be inserted in a shoe the prong 2| is swung on the button I5 so that the tip 23 rests on one of the ball fianges and is out of contact with the insole. The form is then pushed by the use of a forming iron or other means firmly up into the toeof the shoe and the prong swung to remove the tip from the flange. The cross brace I2 is then shifted to expand the form and fill out the shoe the prong being moved into the toe by the brace. 'I'hus any tendency of a toe form embodying this invention to move backward will be opposed by the prong I5 both through the engagement of the tip 23 with the surface of the insole and through the frictional engagement of the prong with the surface of the insole both functions being due to the yieldable action of the cross brace I2 on the prong. It will further be apparent that due to the engagement of the prong I5 with the cross brace I2, any inward I6 will move the cross brace I2 and thus expand the walls of the toe form and increase the pressure of these walls against the toe portion of the shoe. In the rst embodiment the loop which receives the cross brace is selected according to the height of the vamp of the shoei While two embodiments of the invention have been shown and described I am not limited thereto since other embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

y I claim:

l. A toe form having a prong movably secured thereto, the tip of which is adapted to penetrate the surface of the insole of the shoe in which the form is inserted, and means carried by the toe form independent of the prong for engaging it and yieldably holding the tip thereof in contact with the insole whereby the withdrawal of the form from the shoe is opposed.

2. A toe form having a prong, the tip of which is adapted to penetrate the surface of the insole of the shoe in which the form is inserted, said prong having means spaced from the tip which means rest upon such surface and means independent of the prong for engaging it and yieldably holding the tip thereof and the means spaced from the tip in contact with the insole whereby the withdrawal of they form from the shoe is opposed. Y

3. A toe form. having a prong, the tip of which is adapted to penetrate the surface of the insole of the shoe in which the form, is inserted, and a cross brace, said cross brace and said prong being independently carried by said form, the cross brace engaging the prong and yieldably holding the tip thereof in contact with the insole whereby the withdrawal of the form from the shoe is opposed.

4. A toe form having a prong, the tip of which is adapted to penetrate the surface of the insole of the shoe in which the form is inserted, said prong having means spaced from the tip which means rest upon such surface and a cross brace, said cross brace engaging the prong and yieldably holding the tip thereof and the means spaced from the tip in contact with the insole whereby the withdrawal of the form from the shoe is opposed.

5. A toe form having a prong, the tip of which is adapted to penetrate the surface of the insole of the shoe in which the form is inserted, said prong having means spaced from the tip which means rest upon such surface, and a cross brace, said cross brace engaging the prong in the space between the tip and the means and yieldably holding the tip and means in contact with the insole wherebythe withdrawal of the form from the shoe is opposed. i

6. A toe form having a prong, the tip of which is adapted to penetrate the surface of the insole of the shoe in which the form is inserted, and means yieldably engaging a portion of the prong to hold such portion upon the surface and cause it to coact with the tip to oppose` the withdrawal of the form from the shoe.

'7. A toeform having a movable cross brace connecting the side walls thereof and a prong, the tip of which is adapted to penetrate the surface of the insole of the shoe in which vthe form is inserted, said prong having a loop in which the cross brace enters whereby the cross brace is held in position by the prong.

8. A toe form having a cross brace connecting the side walls thereof and a prong; the tip of which is adapted to penetrate the surface of the insole of the shoe in which the form is inserted, said prong having a plurality of loops into any one of which the cross brace may enter and be held thereby in position, the bases of certain of said loops resting upon the surface of the insole and being held in contact therewith by the cross brace.

9. A toe form having a cross brace connecting vthe side walls thereof and a prong, the tip of which is adapted to penetrate the surface of the insole of the shoe in which the form is inserted, said prong having a loop in which the cross brace may enter and be held thereby in position, and a loop the base of which rests upon the surface of the insole and is held in contact therewith by the cross brace. l

10. A toe form having ball flanges, a cross brace connecting said flanges, a button by which one end of the cross brace is pivoted to one of said flanges, the other end of the cross brace being slidable over the other flange to expand or contract the toe form, and a prong pivoted by said button to the flange and terminating in a tip which penetrates the surface of the insole of the shoeinto which the form is inserted, said prong being between said cross brace and said surface and its tip being yieldably held in contact with the surface by said cross brace.

11. A toe form having ball anges, a cross brace connecting said flanges, a button by which one end of the cross brace is pivoted toone of said flanges, the other end of the cross brace being slidable over the other ange to expand or zo l contract the toe form, and a prong pivoted by said button to the ange and terminating in a tip which penetrates the surface of the insole of the shoe into which the form is inserted, said prong having a substantially right angled corner intermediate the ends thereof,.the portion between the corner and the tip being `bent to form a loop which receives such cross brace, the prong being between said cross brace and said surface and its tip being yieldably held in contact with the surface by said cross brace.

12. A toe form having ball flanges, a cross brace connecting said flanges, a button by which one end of the cross brace is pivoted to one of said flanges, the other end of the cross brace being slidable over the other iiange to expand or contract the toe form, and a prong pivoted by said button to the flange and terminating in a tip which penetrates the surface of the insole of the shoe into which the form is inserted, said prong having a substantially right angled corner intermediate the ends thereof, the portion between the corner and the tip being bent to form loops, one of which loops receives such cross brace and the base of another loop resting upon the surface of the insole, the prong being between said cross brace and said surface and its tip and that loop the base of which rests upon the surface of the insole being yieldably held in contact with the surface by said cross brace.

13. A shoe form comprising a hollow toe part having its opposite side walls provided with bottom inturned nanges, adjusting means connecting said anges adapted to adjust the width of the form, and an arm pivotally` connected to one of said flanges and adapted to engage said adjusting means to hold the form in place in a shoe, said arm having a downwardly extending prong adapted to engage the insole of a shoe.

14. A toe form having a cross member and an independent member pivotally carried by said form extending from the front of said cross member under the same and then upwardly in back of said cross member to engage the same and having a tip adapted to engage the insole of a shoe.

l5. A toe form having a cross member and an independent member pivotally carried by said form extending from the front of said cross member under the same and then upwardly in back of said cross member to engage the same and having a tip adapted to engage the insole of a shoe, one of said members being resilient whereby said tip is held yieldingly in contact with the insole of the shoe.

16. A toe form comprising a hollow toe part having its opposite side walls provided with bottom inturned flanges, a movable crossbrace connecting said flanges and adapted to adjust the width of the form, and a prong having a tip yieldably held by said crossbrace in engagement with the insole of a shoe, whereby the withdrawal of the form from the shoe is opposed.

17. A toe form having a prong, the tip of which is adapted to penetrate the surface of the insole of the shoe in which the form is inserted, and movable means carried by the form,

which means yieldably hold the tip of the prong 

